Tow feeding apparatus

Abstract

A tow feeding apparatus which requires no continuous observation, shortens the reset time when tow is wound around pinch rolls for feeding into a case, and operates safely, includes guide rolls for leading a tow to a winding roll or pinch rolls, a winding roll apparatus provided between the guide rolls and pinch rolls at a normal position for winding up a tow around a winding roll when wrapping trouble occurs at the pinch rolls. A pinch roll apparatus for feeding the tow from the guide rolls through the winding roll apparatus into a case, and a transport device for transporting the winding roll apparatus from the normal position to a reset position behind the pinch roll apparatus when wrapping trouble occurs. A cutter shears the tow along the tow route before the pinch roll apparatus. An exchanger for substituting the pinch roll apparatus with another set of pinch rolls, and a detector for detecting wrapping of a tow around the pinch rolls are further included. A controller receives a signal from said detector to actuate the cutter and the driving motor for driving the winding roll, stops the pinch roll apparatus, drives the exchanger, actuates the transport device for moving the winding roll apparatus from the normal position to the reset position, starts the pinch roll apparatus at the same time as the winding roll apparatus is stopped, and returns the winding roll to the normal position.

What we claim is: 
     
       1. A tow feeding apparatus having pinch rolls for feeding a tow into a case, which comprises a plurality of guide rolls for guiding a tow along a tow route to a plurality of pinch rolls, said guide rolls and said pinch rolls being located along said tow route;   a winding roll apparatus provided between said guide rolls and pinch rolls for winding up the tow when said tow becomes entangled in said pinch rolls, said winding roll apparatus comprising a winding roll for winding up the tow and a driving motor for driving said winding roll;   a first pinch roll apparatus for feeding said tow from the guide rolls through said winding roll apparatus into a case, said first pinch roll apparatus comprising said plurality of pinch rolls, and said first pinch roll apparatus being movably located at a pinch roll station;   a transporting means for transporting said winding roll apparatus from a first position with respect to said pinch roll station to a second position with respect to the pinch roll station when said tow becomes entangled in said pinch rolls;   a cutter provided along the tow route between at least one of said guide rolls and at least one or said pinch rolls for cutting the tow;   an exchanger for exchanging said first pinch roll apparatus for a second pinch roll apparatus;   a detector for detecting entanglement of said tow around the pinch rolls; and   control means for receiving a signal from said detector, actuating said cutter, actuating said driving motor for driving the winding roll, stopping the first pinch roll apparatus, driving said exchanger for exchanging the first pinch roll apparatus for the second pinch roll apparatus, actuating said transporting means for moving the winding roll apparatus form said first position to said second position relative to the pinch roll station, starting the second pinch roll apparatus at the same time as stopping the winding roll apparatus, and returning the winding roll to said first position.   
     
     
       2. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transporting means comprises a platform laterally installed over said pinch roll station;   a truck movably supported on said platform by means of wheels;   an elevator supported by said truck and operably associated with said winding roll apparatus, for moving said winding roll apparatus upward or downward; and   driving means for driving said truck and said elevator so that said winding roll apparatus is transported between said first position and said second position.   
     
     
       3. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said winding roll apparatus has a pusher for moving said winding roll in the axial direction thereof by a predetermined length, and a guide means provided along the tow route for traversing the tow within the breadth of the winding roll during operation thereof, and wherein said winding roll has a smooth surface section and a rough surface section in the axial direction of the winding roll so that the tow is wound around said rough surface section of the roll when the winding roll is pushed forward by a predetermined length by said pusher, and so that the tow is wound around the smooth section of the winding roll toward the pinch roll station when the winding roll is returned to the first position. 
     
     
       4. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said elevator comprises an air cylinder which is connected to the winding roll apparatus so as to move the winding roll apparatus upward and downward, a guide fixed with respect to said truck, and a guide rail fixed vertically to the winding roll apparatus for guiding said guide therealong when said air cylinder moves the winding roll apparatus. 
     
     
       5. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said driving means for driving said truck comprises a rack and pinion connected to said platform and truck, respectively, and a driving motor for driving the pinion. 
     
     
       6. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said pinch roll apparatus comprises a plurality of pinch rolls for feeding the tow into the case when the respective pinch roll apparatus is at the pinch roll station, a driving motor for driving the pinch rolls of the pinch roll apparatus that is present at the pinch roll station, a first roll of each said pinch roll apparatus having a broader surface than that of a second roll of each said pinch roll apparatus, and a guide bar for preventing the tow from feeding into the pinch rolls when the tow is wound around the winding roll at the time of transport from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
       7. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exchanger has a turntable on which said first and second pinch roll apparatuses are provided in an exchangeable manner. 
     
     
       8. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detector for detecting entanglement of the tow is a means for detecting an abnormal current value of the driving motor of pinch rolls. 
     
     
       9. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cutter of the tow is fixed on the tow route before the pinch roll station. 
     
     
       10. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an air-jet means is provided at the cutter for winding the tow around the winding roll. 
     
     
       11. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the winding roll has a guide for traversing the tow within a breadth of the winding roll during operation of the winding roll. 
     
     
       12. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a secondary cutter is provided for cutting the tow left between the pinch rolls and the winding roll at said second position. 
     
     
       13. A tow feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises an actuator of the cutter for cutting the tow responsive to a signal from said detector;   an actuator of said winding roll apparatus, actuated by a signal from the detector;   a stopping means for stopping said winding roll apparatus after cutting of the tow;   a controller of said exchanger of the pinch rolls apparatus, which functions so that the first pinch roll apparatus is exchanged for the second pinch roll apparatus at the same time as the winding roll apparatus is stopped;   a controller of said elevator and said driving means of said truck, which is actuated after the cutting of the tow and functions so that said winding apparatus moves upward from the backward side of the pinch roll station, then moves laterally over said pinch roll station along the tow route, and further moves downward to the forward side of the pinch roll station;   a starting means for starting the second pinch roll apparatus when the winding roll apparatus reaches said second position, and a stopping means for stopping the winding roll apparatus at the same time as starting of the second pinch roll apparatus; and   a controller for returning the winding roll to the first position after removing of waste from the winding roll.